Hi, Does anyone on the list have experience of Electrotyping - the
making of reproductions of leaves, plaster mouldings etc by copper
or silver plating onto them? What materials do you use to make the
substrate conductive, what plating solutions, set-ups etc.? I have
seen this technique used in jewellery a number of times and would
like to have a go at it. I think some of the most interesting pieces
have been those that incorporated insects reproduced by this method.
I assume you could also use similar techniques to make moulds for
producing waxes for casting from 'natural' materials...

Electrotyping is a printmaking term where an electroplated negativemold is formed to pour a lead printing plate. What you arediscussing is more commonly called electroforming. Two companiesin the US specialize in small scale electoplating-electroformingsuppies in the US: http://www.caswellplating.com/http://dalmarplating.com/ In the UK - I don't know any but theprocess is universal. there is in the orchid archivesunder electroforming. a Google search on the above terms ill turn upsome things but they will mostly be industrial related.

There are two types of materials used to make a conductive surface.the first classic one is very finely divided copper or silver in alacquer base. The other has the powder in a water based acryliclacquer. You will have to buy these.

The DC plating source is very simple and does not need to cost whatthe commercial rectifier are sold for. You can use a batterycharger or car battery. The voltage required is very low and so isthe current. The voltage requirement can be related to waterpressure and provides the"push" for the current - amps whichactually do the work. In small size work the voltage is around 3volts and the current maybe less than 1 amp. The current actuallyrequired is proportional to the plated surface-- bigger needs more.You can buy plating solutions but a copper solution is just coppersukfate in water at the simplest. there are plating additives thatcan improve the deposition quality. For electroforming slower deposition rates are generally best since higher rate willproduce "treeing" and a more irregular surface. for an art objectthis may be what you want. You may be able to find help in thelibrary. Some of the Jewelry related books will give instruction aswell. Jesse

Hi, Does anyone on the list have experience of Electrotyping -
the making of reproductions of leaves, plaster mouldings etc by
copper or silver plating onto them?

Ian -- Are you sure you don't mean electroforming? If so, there isa good article on it in the current issue of AJM. I took a class inthis process several years ago, and found it quite intriguing, althoat the time it was just not terribly reliable. However, according tothis particular article, changes in technology have made hugedifferences in this process and it has -- or is-- becoming much morefeasible for production work.

Ian, I've never heard of electrotyping by that name, but it sounds alot like high quality electroforming. For that, as Charles LewtonBrain told me (just giving credit where due) you can use anythingthat will make the object electroconductive and not destroy it. Silver print from the specialty electronics industry--that's silverpaint--powdered graphite, etc. Perhaps you can get your objects castin ABS plastic, which conducts electricity, then plate over those. Danny